Customer Spotlight – Rick Braine from Power Drives, Inc.

Every year at SOLIDWORKS World there is a competition between all Users and Resellers called Model Mania. It is a timed contest that has the designer create a part and then make some changes to the model based on simulated conditions. Over the past 16 years, here were the parts that contestants faced.

This year the model was just as challenging as the past parts. It required the ability to understand how to utilize proper design intent prior to modeling, using a circular pattern on symmetric part, running Simulation Xpress to analyze stress of a load, and then editing the part using existing geometry and some direct editing techniques.

Contestants have 20 minutes to sketch, create, simulate, and edit. A majority of the competition doesn’t even get the chance to submit their final part because time expired. For the skilled designers that do submit the correctly created part, their times get ranked and the top 3 receive a prize from nVidia (32G SHIELD Tablet).

This year was similar to years past, with Customers recording better times than the Resellers. However, this year was different because our customer took home Top 3 honors! Rick Braine from Power Drives, Inc. in Erie, PA took the stage in Phoenix, AZ to be recognized by the 5,500 people in the audience.